What exactly is pleasure? What causes pain, and how could it be avoided?
Perennial questions like these fascinated the Greek philosopher Epicurus. While philosophers before him had thought of and talked about happiness, Epicurus was the first to define it exclusively in terms of pain and pleasure. Only three letters and two collections of quotations have survived from his prolific career. Among them was his “Letter to Menoeceus,” which contains timeless recommendations for a simple, happy life.
